Soggy carpet...

[pantscat]

I thought it was rather odd that the back of my jeans felt wet when I got out this morning!

So... I've got a fair puddle in the driver-side footwell... it certainly doesn't seem to be a leak from the roof as I've been in the car during a downpour and nothing gets in.

Is it likely to be a drain hole? If so - where do I check? What do I do to clear them out? (I'm guessing a set of ramps would be useful?!).

Advice would be very welcome...

Ant

[Red Firecracker]

Yup, sounds like the drain holes.

Here's a pic of the upper location;



and you should be able to find the other end just forward of the rear wheels. When you're feeding the coat hanger or whatever you're using to clear them in, don't push too hard! It's also worth attacking from both ends.

[pantscat]

Marvellous... is the other end actually inside the wheel arch or just in front?

I've been to homebase and am now armed with a length of net curtain rod!

[Red Firecracker]

There's a little flap in the arch. If the curtain rod goes all the way through from the top, you'll see it!

[pantscat]

Thanks for that - after much poking around with, at first the net-curtain rod, and then the old aerial mast (replaced with a stubby one, but I knew it would come in handy!) I've managed to produce a small puddle under the car and a load of black detritus!

Turned out to be much easier to do it with the aerial mast... I think the net-curtain rod had a bit too much flex in it.

I'm now on a roll with this and I'm trying to find the drain holes in the sills... but can't see them! Which side of the lip will they be? (I know that there are two holes near the jacking points).

Thanks,

Ant

[Red Firecracker]

Try thus link;

http://www.mx5oc.co.uk/forum/forums/t/894.aspx

[c8bof]

Just had to do this myself for the first time tonight after hearing water sloshing around beneath the footwell. There are two little bulges on the sills next to the jacking points - these show where the drains (should!) empty. You should be able to poke something gently inwards (towards the sill from behind) and then upwards.

I was a bit 'eek' when I saw what came out of them - but no more sloshy noises now

[MX-5 Lazza]

c8bof said:

Just had to do this myself for the first time tonight after hearing water sloshing around beneath the footwell. There are two little bulges on the sills next to the jacking points - these show where the drains (should!) empty. You should be able to poke something gently inwards (towards the sill from behind) and then upwards.

I was a bit 'eek' when I saw what came out of them - but no more sloshy noises now

That's sill drain holes - the OP will likely have blocked hood drain holes. Best to clear all of them anyway though

[c8bof]

MX-5 Lazza said:

c8bof said:

Just had to do this myself for the first time tonight after hearing water sloshing around beneath the footwell. There are two little bulges on the sills next to the jacking points - these show where the drains (should!) empty. You should be able to poke something gently inwards (towards the sill from behind) and then upwards.

I was a bit 'eek' when I saw what came out of them - but no more sloshy noises now

That's sill drain holes - the OP will likely have blocked hood drain holes. Best to clear all of them anyway though

Ah, fair point! Was too excited about having fixed my car, being a girl and all that that I skipped the detail about the hood drains, but yeah, I cleared those too

Where are the front sill drains emptying from then? Bottom of the windscreen?

[MX-5 Lazza]

The sills just have the 2 drain points you have pointed out. The real question is how did the water get in there is the first place as it isn't really a designed path for rain water. The answer is probably the blocked rear drain tubes or causing water to drain down the back of the seat belt towers into the sills...

[pantscat]

I'm being dense... but I can't see where the sill holes are. I guess that I need a bit more clearance underneath the car to see them properly.

Are the holes inbetween the 'pinch' on the sills?

[Red Firecracker]

The holes are (should be) in the bulges on the line of the sill join. Where the sill joins the floorpan there is a long lip along the length of the car. In that lip there are bulges front and rear where the jack locates (if you use the nasty supplied jack). In that bulge is the drain, basically the lip on each panel has a dent so that when they are put together there is a gap in the location which acts as the drain.

[skinny]

to be fair it's a totally crap design of drain holes in teh sill. get any dirt or rust in the sills, the water will wash it into these tiny little drains and block them and then it all just rusts from the inside

[pantscat]

Cheers guys... found them in the end.

Not the most amazing feat of design eh?